MIA Update - January 17, 2020

[boardman]

MIA Update: The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced five burial updates for service members who have been missing and unaccounted-for from WWII and the Korean War. Returning home for burial with full military honors are:

--Army Cpl. William J. McCollum, 19, of Anderson, South Carolina, was a member of Company D, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, 31st Regimental Combat Team. He was reported missing in action Dec. 2, 1950, in the vicinity of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces. Following the war, his remains could not be recovered until June 2018, when North Korea turned over 55 boxes, purported to contain the remains of American service members killed during the Korean War, which included McCollum’s remains. McCollum will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. The date has yet to be determined. Read about McCollum https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/News-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/Article/1961365/soldier-accounted-for-from-korean-war-mccollum-w/.
-- Army Pfc. Junior C. Evans, 20, of Hall County, Texas, was a member of Company I, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 12, 1950, in the vicinity of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea. However, accurate accountability of troops was often difficult due to the chaotic environment and Evans likely went missing during a battle between Nov. 27 and Dec. 6, 1950. Following the battle, his remains could not be recovered. Evans will be buried in Gilmer, Texas. The date has yet to be determined. Read about Evans https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/News-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/Article/1940170/soldier-accounted-for-from-korean-war-evans-j/.
-- Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Lowell S. Twedt, 27, of Le Grand, Iowa, was a pilot assigned to the 71st Fighter Squadron, 1st Fighter Group. On Oct. 20, 1944, he piloted a P-38J “Lightning” aircraft as part of an escort for a B-17 “Flying Fortress” bombing mission targeting oil storage tanks in Regensburg, Germany. The mission encountered enemy anti-aircraft fire around Bolzano, Italy. Three P-38Js, including Twedt’s, went down as a result. An eyewitness account saw Twedt’s aircraft falling to the ground in flames, and did not see him eject. Twedt’s remains were never recovered. Twedt will be buried in Fernly, Nevada. The date has yet to be determined. Read about Twedt https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/News-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/Article/2039746/pilot-accounted-for-from-world-war-ii-twedt-l/.
-- Marine Corps Pfc. Louis Wiesehan Jr., of Richmond, Indiana, was a member of Company F, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, which landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands. Over several days of intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and sailors were killed, including Wiesehan on the second day of battle, Nov. 21, 1943. Wiesehan will be buried April 18, 2020, in his hometown. Read about Wiesehan https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/News-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/Article/1976082/marine-accounted-for-from-world-war-ii-wiesehan-l/.
-- Air Force Maj. Neal C. Ward, 23, of College Station, Texas, was a member of the 602nd Special Operations Squadron, as the pilot of an A-1H aircraft, leading a flight of two on an armed reconnaissance mission in the Lao People's Democratic Republic. Following four bombing runs, Ward’s aircraft was seen being stuck by automatic weapons fire, followed by a large fire and explosion. Ward’s wingman was unable to establish contact and did not observe a parachute following the incident. Ward will be buried in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. The date has yet to be determined. Read about Ward https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/News-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/Article/1919720/pilot-accounted-for-from-vietnam-war-ward-n/.